Wooden spoon and method of making the same



April 4, 1944 s. F. MONTAGUE 2,345,940

WOODEN SPOON AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Dec. '7, 1939 HEA TED Z7/EJEU/ONS Illllllllll ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1944 4andere UNITED STATESPATENT oFFflcEj,

WOODEN SPOGN AND METHOD F MAKING THE SAME Stephen F. Montague, Oswego,N. Y., assignor vto Berst-Forster-Dixfield Company, New York, N Y., acorporation of Maine Application December 7, 1939, Serial No. 307,955

Claims. (Cl. 1114-309) This invention relates to wooden spoons and isdirected, more particularly, to the production of surface-shaped spoonsfrom wood veneer. Wood veneer spoons have been extensively used inconnection, more particularly, with the sale of frozen confections, suchas ice cream, custard, and the like, but, prior to this invention,practically all of these spoons were flat, with all parts of each spoonin the same plane. The chief disadvantage of such spoons is that theirportion, which corresponds to the bowl, is flat and consequentlymaterial, dipped by said spoon, is not retained thereon, but tends toslide off or drip from they fiat surface thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wood veneer spoonhaving a hollow bowl adapted to satisfactorily retain therein solid,liquid or semi-liquid materials, and so shaped throughout as to impartappreciable structural strength to the article, while ypermitting theuse of relatively thin wood stock.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred practical form, blanks ofappropriate shape are stamped from wood veneer, are thereafter wettedand placed between heated die sections complementarily shaped to form aspoon to the desired 'surfacecontoun All of the blank except a portionof the handle is preferably introduced between the die sections and saidsections are thereafter slowly closed, in a manner hereinafter morefully described, to form the blank into a spoon of the desired shape Itis peculiar to this invention that the pressure exerted by the diesections is sufficient to actually compress that portion of the blankoperated upon, so that said portion is, in the finished spoon, thinnerthan that portion of the .blank which remains exteriorly of the die. Theuse of such high pressure is of great importance because I have found itpossible, by thus manipulating wood veneer to, in effect, case-hardenit, i. e., soy compress the external fibers and cellular formation ofthe wood as to render the surfaces thereof less porousthan theuncompressed veneer. This action is facilitated by the shaping of thedie sections, the surfaces of which exert a wiping action upon thecontacting surfaces of the blank and impart thereto an appearance ofhard polish. It is of course true. that those portions of the blankwhich are operated on by the die are compressed throughout the thicknessof the veneer, but it appears that the surfaces are rendered harder andmore impervious to liquids, to produce the socalled Case-hardeningeifect. Be that as it may,

it is clear that, in the finished spoon, the fibers or cellularstructure of the `shank and bowl, which have been operated upon by thedie sections, are less porous than the handle portion which has not beenso operated upon and the bowl and the shank do not tend to soak upliquids with the speed that the uncompressed blanks do. `Consequently,the bowl and shank tend to retain their clean appearance while in use.

A spoon made according to the preferred form of this invention has abowl and shank .portion of less thickness than the uncompressed handleportion. The bowl is hollow with a contour similar to a conventionalmetal spoon. The shank is of arcuate cross section, mergingy into ahandle, preferably flat, uncompressed and of greater thickness than theremainder of the spoon. The shank is preferablyA curved longitudinally,as well as transversely, and is somewhat wider than the conventionalspoon so that, by this combination of curvilinear contours in directionsnormal to one another, an extremely strong shank is produced, well ableto withstand bending and torsional strains to which a spoon of this typeis subjected, whenused, e. g., inconnection with frozen confections.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will beapparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, `I have-,illustrated the various stepsthrough which a blank is passed for producing4 the veneer spoon of thepresent invention, but the drawing is to be understood as illustrative,only, and not as defining the limits of the invention. n

Figure 1 is a face view of a blank out from wood veneer. l

Figure 2 is an edgeview of the blankillustrated in Figure 1 and showingthat the blank is flat.

I Figure 3 shows the application of liquid to the blank.

Figure 4 sh-ows a blanky positioned between heated die sections,illustrated as retracted in this figure.

Figure 5 shows the die sections closed to form the nished spoon.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal' central section through the finished spoon,removed from the die.

Figure 7 is a face view of such spoon.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are sections on the lines 8 8, 9 9 and Ill-l l),respectively, of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawing, B indicates a blank, stamped from wood veneerby any appropriate and it may be conventionally kiln dried for economy.

A blank made as described is preferably tumbled, sanded or otherwiseoperated upon to produce smooth edges and to eliminated splinters androughness. It is then wetted. This step in the method may beaccomplished by dipping or immersing the blank in water or in anyothersuitable liquid appropriate for the purpose. Water is entirelysatisfactory and I nd it the best practice to spray or atomize waterupon the blank from a nozzle l, as shown in Figure 3. Both sides of theblank may be sprayed in this way, although the spraying of one side isordinarily sufficient. It is desirable to apply as little water aspossible, so as to produce asubstantially dry end product.

After moisture has been applied to the blank as stated, it is introducedbetween two die sections 2 and 3, shown retracted in Figure 4. These diesectionsare complementary male andV female and are shaped to correspondto the desired surface shape of the bowl and shank of the finishedspoon. They are, moreover, heated to a temperature above 212 F. to adaptthem to convert the moisture of the blank, i; e., the concomitantmoisture, intosteam when the blank is manipulated by them. In Figure 4the blank is shown as introduced betweenthe die sections, so as to leavean appreciable portion of the handle projecting exteriorly of the diesections, for it is the preferred form of the method of this inventionto leave the whole or at least a portion of the handle of the blankphysically unaffected by the die operation.

After the blank has been positioned in moist condition within the diesections, as shown in Figure 4, these die sections are slowly closed.The closing of said sections may be continuous or it may beintermittent. That is to say, the die sections may be forcedprogressively for short distances toward one another by intermittentstages of movement with intervening periods of rest. The movement duringeach stage should be such as not` to place sufcient stress upon theblank to break'or split it, and the periods of intervening dwell shouldbe sufiicient to permit the softening action of the generated steam toat least partially relieve the blank of the stresses which have thusbeen set up during a previous closing stage, so as to permit the blankto be further manipulated during the next pressure stage. In any event,however, the closing of the die sections should keep step with, orcorrespond to, the ability of the blank to receive the stresses imposedthereby, without splitting. Furthermore relatively great pressuresshould be applied to the blank sections, particularly as themanipulation of the blank intoY finished form nears its completion andshould be of such order as to actually compress the blank after it hasbeen brought into conformity with the die contours in order that thecellular structure of the wood may be actually compressed and compactedsufficiently to effect the porosity of the surfaces of the wood.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention as described, the closingof the two die sections is accomplished by successive stages of partialclosing movement. These stages are additive, in contradistinction tosuccessive die closing movements, interspersed by die opening movements.They are incremental and accumulative and they collectively add up tothe complete closing of the die couple. ,The die sections are not movedapart between stages of closing movement. On the contrary, these diesections are, throughout these periods, held in fixed relation againstopening movement and they are heated to a temperature above the boilingpoint of the water present, i. e., the concomitant moisture, wherebytheir temperature is sufficient to convert such moisture into steam sothat the blank may be ultimately dried and set in the compressedcondition described.

Wood veneer will tend to vary slightly in thickness, particularly afterit has been either air or kiln dried and consequently the dies arepreferably controlled to apply desired pressures to accomplish theresult described. They are not provided with stops to limit theirclosing, but are adapted to be forced against the blank with pres'-sures sufficient to accomplish the result and to cease forward movementonly when the blank has been compressed as stated.

When a blank is so operated upon, that portion of the blank manipulatedby the die sections is not only compressed, but is subjected to a wipingaction against the complementary surfaces of the die sections and thisproduces smooth relatively hard polished surfaces upon the wood and, Ibelieve, tends to alter the fibers or cellular structure of the Wood,particularly at the surfaces thereof, sufficiently to practicallyeliminate the natural porosity thereof. l

While that portion of the spoon within the die sections is beingmanipulated vas described that portion of the spoon which projectsbeyond the die sections, remains in its natural form with its normalthickness greater than the decreased compressed thickness of the portionof the spoon within the die, as will clearly appear from Figure 5,wherein thicknesses have been exaggerate in the interest of clearness. f

After the parts have been brought into, the position shown in Figure 5and conform to the die sections, as therein illustrated, the diesections are maintained closed for a sufficient period to substantiallyeliminate internal stresses in the wood and to thereafter substantiallydry the wood, by virtue of the heat of the dies and by the ,escape ofmoisture from the wood in the form of steam.

After the blank has been compressed, manipulated and substantiallydried/in the manner described, the dies are opened and the blank removedand it is found that the wood has been set in the finished spoon formillustrated in Figures 6-10, inclusive. It will not thereafter tend towarp, twist or lose its shape and as it comes hotfrom the die any slighttraces of moisture which remain therein will immediately dry off sothat, when the spoon is cooled to room temperature, it is dry to allintents and purposes.

The finished spoon has a bowl 4, the front face of which is of concave,dished form and the back face of which is of complementary con- Vexshape, as shown in Figure 10, so that a plurality of these spoons willclosely nest. The shank 5 is transversely curved and of arcuate crosssection, as illustrated in Figure 9, and is longitudinally curved, asshown in Figure 6, and these curvilinear sections, normal to oneanother,

produce an extremely stiff shank construction made possible by the useofra relatively wide shank. The entire spoon is compressedvup to theline E, which defines the limit to which the blank projected into thedie, and abovethe line 6, the handle portion l remains in the form whichit had in. the original blank B. At the line 6, the thickened portion lmerges into the compressed portion with curved llets of pleasingappearance. The compressed portions of the spoon haveY the distinctappearances of polishl while the uncompressed handle portion 'l remainsin its original state and has the appearance of a somewhat roughersurface, which, when grasped, does not tend to slip, duringV thehandling of the spoon. The peripheral edges of the entire spoon arevsubstantially normal to adjoining surfaces and form distinct edges ofdenite dimensions which not only lend character tothe article, but alsolimpart strength over that which would bepresent if the material wereworked down to a thin, feather edge. With the thickened edge frozenconfections and other relatively hard materials may be safely manipuatedwithout tending to split the wood or to break splinters or particlestherefrom. A relatively short spoon is shown in the accompanying drawingandthe line 6 is shown as positioned at the point where the handlemerges into the shank, but the positioning of this offset or thickeningmay be varied withoutv departing from this invention, as will beapparent from the foregoing description.

In this description the preferred form of the invention has beendescribed, in which the whole or at least part` of the handle ofthespoon remains outside of thedie while the, rest-of the blank ismanipulated therein. I consider that this produces the most desirabletype of spoon and it is preferred to practice the invention as thusdescribed. I have, however, made spoons by so forming the dies thattheentire length of the spoon will be received between the die sections andcompressed when the die sections are closed, so that the whole spoon iscase-hardened and compressed, in the same manner as the bowl and shankare, in theforegoing disclosure. I also make claim to this procedure andthe resulting product.

The present invention was primarily conceived for the making of spoonsfrom veneer. It isentirely feasible, however, to practice the presentinvention on blanks, such las shown in Figures 1 and 2, but so shapedand manipulated in such dies as to adapt these blanks to the productionof a fork or other similar article, such as spears and analogous devicesfor use in connection with beverages. Consequently the term spoon is tohe so construed as used in the appended claims, and I reserve the rightto every use 0f my invention as hereinbefore described. The presentinvention is therefore to be understood as fully commensurate withtheappended claims.

Compression altered or compression treated, as referred to in theappended claims, is intended to describe that condition of the woodwhich results from the compression thereof in heated dies operated undersuhcient pressure to actually compress the veneer, in the presence ofmoisture, to decreased thickness.

Heat polished, as used in the appended defines that surface conditionwhich results from the rubbing action between the surface of wood and aheated die while the die operates upon the wood to shape the same to thedesired surface contour.

Having thus fully described the invention', what I claim as newvanddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a single ply wooden spoon or thelike, at least a portion of the handle of which is of uncompressed thinwood stock while the remainder of the length of said article is incompressed state and of reduced thickness with heat polished surfaces.

2f; As a new article of manufacture, a single ply wood veneer spoon orthe like, atleast a portion of the handle end of which has the fibrouscellular character of the veneer from which it was made, while the brouscellular structure of the remainder of the article is compression al.-tered.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a spoon or the like consisting ofrelatively thin single ply wood veneer, a portion of the length of whicharticle is heat polished, while the remaining portion is lacking in suchheat polish. 4. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like whichcomprises: positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contourbetween two opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to atemperature suicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam,moistening said blank, closing the two die sections of said die coupleupon said blank by successive stages oi additive partial closingmovement with intervening periods of lixed die section relationthroughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are heldagainst opening movement, until the die couple is closed on the blankwith the blank conformingr to said two die sections, and thereafterforcing the die sections still closer together under suflicient pressureto cornu press the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness.

5. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises:positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contour between twoopposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperaturesuflicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, moistening saidblank, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blankby successive stages of additive partial closing movement withintervening periods of iiXed die section relation throughout each ofwhich the two die sections of the die couple are held against openingmovement, until the die couple is closed on the blank with the blankconforming to said two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sectionsstill closer together under suiiicient pressure to compress the wood ofthe blank therein to reduced thickness, and continuing to hold the thusformed and compressed blank under compression between said die sectionsuntil it is in a substantially dry iixed state.

6. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like whichooxnprises:positioning a lilat :blank of predetermined peripheral contour betweentwo opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to atemperature suflicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam,inoistening said biank, closing the two die'secticns of said die coupleupon said blank by successive stages of additivel partial closingmovement with intervening periods of xed die section relation throughouteach of which the two die sections of the die couple are held againstopeningv movement and the duration of which is suiiicient to. permit thestresses set up in the .blank byprevious closing stages tosubstantially' cease, until the die couple is closed'on the blank withthe blank conforming to said two die sections, and thereafter forcingthe die sections still closer together under sulficient pressure tocompress the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness.

7. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises:positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contour between twoopposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperaturesufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, moistening saidblank, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blankby successive stages of additive partial closing movement withintervening periods of fixed die section relation throughout each ofwhich the two die sections of the die couple are held against openingmovement and the duration of which is suflicient to permit the stressesset up in the blank by previous closing stages to substantially cease,until the die couple is closed on the blank with the blank conforming tosaid two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sections still closertogether under sufficient pressure to compress the wood of the blanktherein to reduced thickness, and continuing to hold the thus formed andcompressed blank under .compression between said die sections until itis in a substantially dry xed state.

3. The method of forming wooden spoons yand the like which comprises:positioning the bowl and shank portions of a substantially spoon shapedflat blank between two opposed die sections of a die couple with thehandle portion of the blank projecting beyond the die sections,moistening,1r said blank, heating said die couple to a temperaturesufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, closing the twodie sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages ofadditive partial closing movement with intervening periods of iiXed diesection relation throughout each of which the two die sections of thedie couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple isclosed on the bowl and shank portions of the blank with said portionsconforming to said two die sections, and thereafter forcing the diesections still closer together under sulficient pressure to compress thewood of the bowl and shank portions of the blank therein to reducedthickness while the handle portion remains uncompressed.

9. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises:positioning the bowl and shank lportions of a substantially spoon shapedflat blank between two opposed die sections of a die couple with thehandle portion of the blank projecting beyond the die sections,moistening said blank, heating said die couple to a temperaturesufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, closing the twodie sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages ofadditive partial closing movement with intervening periods of xed diesection relation throughout each of which the two die sections of thedie couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple isclosed on the bowl and shank portions of the blank :with said portionsconforming to said two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sectionsstill closer together under suilcient pressure to compress the wood ofthe bowl and shank portions of the blank therein to reduced thicknesswhile the handle portion remains uncompressed, and continuing to holdthe thus formed and compressed bowl and shank portions of the blankconverting the moisture with which the blank was wetted into steam tosoften the wood sufciently to permit of such shaping, thereafterapplying sufficient pressure to said bowl and shank portions to compressthem to reduced thickness with respect to the handle portion of thespoon, and drying the bowl and shank portions of the spoon in shaped andcompressed condition before relieving them of forming pressures.

11. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises:cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer,wetting said blank,-then applying force to those portions-of the blankwhich correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and force theshank into both longitudinally and transversely curved conditionwhilevconverting the moisture present into steam to soften the woodsufciently to permitr of such shaping, and thereafter applyingsuflicientfpressure on the thus shaped blank'to compress the` wood ofsuch blank to reduced thickness.

12. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises:cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer,wetting said blank, then applying force to those portions of the'blankwhich correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and force theshank linto both longitudinally and transversely curved reducedthickness.

13. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises:cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer,wetting said blank, then applying force to those p01'- tions of theblank which correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and forcethe shank into both longitudinally and transversely curved conditionwhile converting the moisture present into steam to soften the woodsufficiently to permit of such shaping, and thereafter applying sufcientpressure to the thus shaped bowl and shank portions to compress the woodthereof to reduced thickness, while the handle portion o the blankremains uncompressed.

14.v The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises:cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer,wetting said blank, then applying force to those portions of the blankwhich correspond to the bowl into steam to soften the Wood sufciently topermit of such shaping, thereafter applying sucient pressure to the thusshaped bowl and shank portions to compress the wood thereof to reducedthickness, and heat drying the blank while it remains under compression.

STEPHEN F. MONTAGUE.

